Former solder is new Lord Lieutenant

A FORMER Grenadier Guard has been named as the new Lord Lieutenant for Worcestershire - The Queen's official representative for the county.

Lt Col Patrick Holcroft LVO, OBE, who has been the deputy lieutenant for the last three years, was brought up in Worcestershire and lives near Tenbury Wells with his wife and three sons.

He succeeds the late Michael Brinton who held the post for more than a decade before his death last April.

Lt Col Holcroft spent 19 years with the Grenadier Guards, before moving into a career in the City of London with merchant banking group Robert Fleming.

Since being appointed deputy lieutenant, he has helped plan last year's Diamond Jubilee visit of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to Worcester and HRH The Earl of Wessex's visit to Malvern and Worcester.

Lt Col Holcroft's duties will include arranging royal visits, presenting honours and awards, leading the local magistrates in his role as the Chairman of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace and supporting reserve forces and cadets.

The 64-year-old said he was relishing taking on such an important role which he described as a privilege and an honour. He also paid tribute to his predecessor Mr Brinton.

"I follow in the footsteps of an outstanding man, Michael Brinton, whose work has touched many different areas of life across the county," he said.

"He and his wife, Angela, carried out their duties with integrity, commitment and good humour and I, along with many others, would like to pay tribute to that."

Lt Col Holcroft is a director, trustee and advisor to a number of companies, trusts and charities including The Nuffield Trust for the Forces of the Crown, the Lloyds Patriotic, The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, The Grenadier Guards and The Hedley Foundation.